FirstName_R

Roger Joseph Ebert (June 18, 1942 – April 4, 2013) was an American journalist, film critic and screenwriter, who was described by Forbes as "the most powerful pundit in America". He was the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize, as well as the first to be awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Roger Ebert cause of death

Ebert died on April 4, 2013 after battling cancer for many years.  Roger Ebert was 70 years old at the time of his death.

Richard Griffiths, OBE (July 31, 1947 – March 28, 2013) was an English actor of stage, film and television. He received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor, the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Actor in a Play, the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Featured Actor and a Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, all for his role in the play The History Boys. He was also known for his portrayal of Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter films, Uncle Monty in Withnail and I, Henry Crabbe in Pie in the Sky, and King George II in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. He also appeared in Richard Attenborough's Oscar-winning 1982 film Gandhi portraying the role of a British journalist.

Griffiths' film roles were in both contemporary and period pieces such as Gorky Park (1983), Withnail and I (1987), King Ralph (1991), The Naked Gun 2½: The Smell of Fear (1991), Guarding Tess (1994) and Sleepy Hollow (1999). Later, he was seen as Harry Potter's cruel uncle Vernon Dursley in the Harry Potter series.

Richard Griffiths cause of death

Richard Griffiths died at the University Hospital Coventry on 28 March 2013 from complications following heart surgery.  Richard Griffiths was 65 years old at the time of his death.

Rick Huxley (August 5, 1940 – February 11, 2013) was an English musician who was the bassist for The Dave Clark Five, a group that was part of the British Invasion.

Rick Huxley cause of death: Rick Huxley died in February 2013,  after suffering from emphysema for some years. Rick Huxley  was 72 years old at the time of his death.

Dave Clark Five - Because (1964)

Reg Presley (born Reginald Maurice Ball; June 12, 1941 – February 4, 2013) was an English singer-songwriter. He was best known as the lead singer with prominent 1960s rock and roll band The Troggs, whose best known hit was "Wild Thing", though their only UK number one single was the follow-up "With a Girl Like You". He was born at 17 Belle Vue Road, Andover, Hampshire.

His most famous composition is "Love Is All Around". Wet Wet Wet's 1994 cover stayed at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart for fifteen weeks. Presley used his royalties from that cover to fund his research into crop circles and outlined his findings in a book, Wild Things They Don't Tell Us, published in October 2002.

Reg Presley appears as a character in Steve Erickson's novel These Dreams of You (2012).

Reg Presley cause of death

Reg Presley died from cancer and a succession of recent strokes.  Reg Presley was 71 years old at tht time of his death.

In December 2011 Presley was hospitalized in Winchester, Hampshire, with what was suspected to be a stroke. He was also suffering from pneumonia and fluid around the heart. Presley had suffered a major stroke about a year before. His wife said he first began to feel bad while performing in Germany on December 3, 2011, and had got progressively worse.

The Troggs - Wild Thing

Troggs - "Love Is All Around"

Sahara Davenport, born Antoine Ashley, (December 17, 1984 – October 1, 2012) was an American drag queen and reality television personality and classically-trained dancer. He was best known as a contestant on the second season of RuPaul's Drag Race.

Sahara Davenport cause of death
Davenport died of heart failure.
Sahara Davenport was 27 years old at the time of his death.

Davenport died on October 1, 2012. The cause of his death is yet to be determined.

Ronald Bertram Aloysius "R. B." Greaves III (November 28, 1943 - September 27, 2012) was a singer who had chart success in 1969 with the pop single "Take a Letter Maria". A #2 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, this single sold one million copies and earned a gold certification from the Recording Industry Association of America. Greaves also had a Top 40 pop hit a year later with "Always Something There to Remind Me"

R. B. Greaves cause of death
Greaves passed away in Los Angeles.  Cause of death was not released.
R. B. Greaves was 68 years old at the time of his death.

R.B. Greaves -Take A Letter Maria

Russell Scott (June 30, 1921 – August 27, 2012), also known as Blinky the Clown, was an American clown who starred in a Denver, Colorado, television program called Blinky's Fun Club.

Blinky's Fun Club began in 1958 and originated from the studios of KKTV in Colorado Springs. In 1966, the show moved to KWGN in Denver and remained there until it was cancelled in 1998.

Russell Scott cause of death
Scott died on August 27, 2012, at the Bear Creek Nursing Center in Morrison, Colorado, from complications of pneumonia. Russell Scott was 91 years old at the time of his death.

Ramona Parker (1969 – July 17, 2012), known as Ms. Melodie, was an emcee married to KRS-One in July 1987, and was associated with his group Boogie Down Productions (BDP) until the couple's divorce in 1992. She was raised in the Flatbush section of the New York City borough of Brooklyn.

Her first release was the 1988 12-inch single "Hype According to Ms. Melodie", which, like most of her records, was produced by KRS-One. While they began recording her debut album, Ms. Melodie and the rest of BDP appeared in the Keenen Ivory Wayans film I'm Gonna Git You Sucka. Her only album, Diva, would be released the following year by Jive/RCA Records and was largely produced by KRS-One, with contributions from Sam Sever and the Awesome 2's DJ Teddy Tedd. The single "Wake Up, Wake Up" reached the Top 20 of Billboard's Hot Rap Singles chart; the music video to its follow-up single "Live on Stage" was a hit on video stations. She is the older sister of former BDP member Harmony.

Ms. Melodie Cause of death
According to news reports, she died on July 17, 2012. The cause of death is unknown.
Ms. Melodie was 43 years old at the time of her death.

Ms. Melodie - Communication 1989

Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965 – June 17, 2012) was the victim in a police brutality case involving the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) on March 3, 1991. A bystander, George Holliday, videotaped much of the incident from a distance.

The footage showed seven officers surrounding the solitary King, with several LAPD officers repeatedly striking a helpless King with their batons while the other officers stood by watching, without taking any action to stop the beating. A portion of this footage was aired by news agencies around the world, causing public outrage that increased tension between the local black community and the LAPD and increased anger over police brutality, racism and social inequalities in Los Angeles.

Four LAPD officers were later tried in a state court for the beating; three were acquitted and the jury failed to reach a verdict for the fourth. The announcement of the acquittals sparked the 1992 Los Angeles riots. A later federal trial for civil rights violations ended with two of the officers found guilty and sent to prison and the other two officers acquitted.

After LA Riots

• In 1993, King entered an alcohol rehabilitation program and was placed on probation after crashing his vehicle into a block wall in downtown Los Angeles.
• In July 1995, he was arrested by Alhambra police, who alleged that he hit his wife with his car, knocking her to the ground. He was sentenced to 90 days in jail after being convicted of hit and run. 
• On August 27, 2003, King was arrested for speeding and running a red light while under the influence of alcohol. He failed to yield to police officers and slammed his vehicle into a house, breaking his pelvis.
• On November 29, 2007, while riding home on his bicycle, King was shot in the face, arms, and back with pellets from a shotgun.
• In May 2008 King checked into the Pasadena Recovery Center in Pasadena, California, which was filmed as part of the second season of Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew.
• On March 3, 2011, King was stopped by Los Angeles police for driving erratically. He was issued a citation for driving with an expired license. 
• In February 2012, King was convicted in misdemeanor for reckless driving.

Death of Rodney King
On June 17, 2012, King's fiancée, Cynthia Kelly, found him dead in his swimming pool. Rialto Police (California) received a 911 call from Cynthia Kelly, about 5:25 a.m. PST. Responding officers found King at the bottom of the pool, removed him, and attempted to revive him. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.  Rodney King as 47 years old at the time of his death.

*Kings fiancee Cyntia Kelly was juror #5 at King's beating trial (1992)

Ray Douglas Bradbury (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012) was an American fantasy, horror, science fiction, and mystery writer. Best known for his dystopian novel Fahrenheit 451 (1953) and for the science fiction stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles (1950) and The Illustrated Man (1951), Bradbury was one of the most celebrated 20th-century American writers of speculative fiction. Many of Bradbury's works have been adapted into television shows or films.

Ray Bradbury cause of death
Bradbury died in Los Angeles, California, on June 5, 2012, after a "lengthy illness".  Ray Bradbury was 91 years old at the time of his death

Richard Dawson (November 20, 1932 – June 2, 2012) was an English-born American actor, comedian, game show panelist and host in America. He was best known for his role as Corporal Peter Newkirk on Hogan's Heroes, being the original host of the Family Feud game show from 1976–1985 and 1994-1995, and for being a regular panelist on the 1970s version of Match Game on CBS from 1973 to 1978. He was also famous for his final film role, that of Damon Killian, host of "The Running Man" in the 1987 film, The Running Man.

Richard Dawson cause of death
Richard Dawson died from complications of esophageal cancer
Richard Dawson was 79 years old at the time of his death.

Family Feud- funny answers

Richard "Dick" Beals (March 16, 1927 - May 29, 2012) was an American voice actor. He performed many voices in his career, which spanned the period from the early 1950s into the 21st century. He specialized primarily in doing the voices of young boys.

Perhaps his most recognizable characterization was the voice of the stop-motion animation figure called "Speedy Alka-Seltzer", featured in television commercials for more than 50 years.

His high voice and boyish appearance were due to a glandular problem; he did not go through puberty. Beals was 4 foot 7 inches (just under 140 cm) tall and weighed just under 70 pounds (about 31 kg).

During the late 1980s, Beals provided the voices for various characters on Garfield and Friends with the most major character he voiced being Jon's cruel nephew Rosco.

Dick Beals cause of Death
Dick Bealspassed away on May 29, 2012, at the age of 85

Vintage Alka Seltzer Commercial - Funny Buster Keaton

All Awards: won as a Group Bee Gees

Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE (December 22, 1949 – May 20, 2012) was a British singer and songwriter. He is best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice and older brother Barry. He had another younger brother, Andy Gibb, who was also a very popular singer.

Robin Gibb was the fraternal twin brother of Maurice Gibb, and the elder of the two, born 35 minutes before Maurice.  Maurice Gibb passed on January 12, 2002 of of complications resulting from a twisted intestine.  Currently, Barry Gibb is the only surviving original member of the Bee Gees.

The Bee Gees became one of the most successful pop groups of all time with record sales estimated in excess of 200 million units.

Robin Gibb cause of death.
Robin Gibb died after long battle with colorectal cancer.
Robin Gibb was 62 years old at the time of his death.

Bee Gees - How Deep Is Your Love

Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive

Ronnie Montrose (November 29, 1947 – March 3, 2012) was an American rock guitarist who led a number of his own bands as well as performing with a variety of musicians, including Sammy Hagar, Herbie Hancock, Van Morrison, The Beau Brummels, Boz Scaggs, Beaver & Krause, Gary Wright, Tony Williams, The Neville Brothers, Dan Hartman, Edgar Winter and Johnny Winter.

Ronnie Montrose cause of death.
The coroner's report released on April 6, 2012 ruled his death a suicide by self-inflicted gunshot wound. Ronnie Montrose was 64 years old at the time of his death.
On his most recent tour, in late 2009, Montrose revealed that he had successfully fought prostate cancer over the last two years.

Ronnie Montrose with Sammy Hagar (1974) - Bad Motor Scooter

Robert Hegyes (May 7, 1951 – January 26, 2012) was an American actor best known for his portrayal of high school student Juan Epstein on the 1970s American sitcom Welcome Back, Kotter.

Robert Hegyes Cause of Death
On January 26, 2012, after suffering from chest pains at his Metuchen, New Jersey home, Hegyes died from an apparent heart attack at John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Edison, New Jersey. Robert Hegyes was 60 years old at the time of his death.

Welcome Back, Kotter Wedding Scene (this video is likely to get deleted)